


The Misunderstanding

by nerdy_bookworm_1998



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst with a fluffy ending, F/M, Fluff, Swearing, assumed cheating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:07:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23017513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdy_bookworm_1998/pseuds/nerdy_bookworm_1998
Summary: Bucky thinks y/n is cheating on him with Steve, but not everything is as it seems.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Reader, James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader
Kudos: 72





	The Misunderstanding

When Bucky's alarm goes off at 7 am he reaches out blindly with his flesh arm to shut it off before rolling over and slinging it over the other side of the bed, expecting to make contact with the soft, warm body of his girlfriend of the last three years. Instead, he encounters only cold sheets, signaling that she had left the bed long ago. Bucky frowns deeply. This is the nth time in the last few weeks that he had woken up alone and it was really starting to bother him. With a long-suffering sigh, he slips from the bed and pulls on a pair of sweatpants and a blue t-shirt before heading in search of his first caffeine boost for the day. 

As he reaches the door to the communal kitchen he can her soft giggling from within. He rounds the corner to find y/n and Steve with their heads bent close together over a StarkPad, Steve's arm slung casually over her shoulders as he whispers in her ear. Whatever he told her causes her entire face to light up in the way that it only ever did when she saw Bucky. The sight before him makes dread settle in his gut and drives all thoughts of coffee from his mind. Instead, he turns sharply on his heel and marches towards the gym, needing to blow off some steam.

After a long workout session, in which several heavy-duty sandbags were sacrificed, and a long, hot shower, Bucky wanders into the gardens where there is a large gazebo with comfortable lounge chairs in which y/n liked to curl up and read. Sure enough, his girl (is she really still his girl?) sits curled up like a cat in the shade with her StarkPad, tapping away and paying no attention to the world around her.

He walks into the gazebo, making sure to make his steps audible against the wood. Yet she still startles slightly when he crouches in front of her, gently touching her knee. When she realizes that it's Bucky sitting with her, her eyes widen momentarily in panic before she quickly schools her features into a calm mask. "Hey, babe, how are you? I missed you at breakfast," she smiles softly as she runs her free hand through his hair.

"Training ran a little longer than usual," he says calmly as his eyes flutter closed of their own accord and he presses closer to her touch before pulling away a moment later. "What happened to you this morning? You were gone by the time I woke up," he asks, waiting to see her reaction.

If she's surprised, she certainly doesn't show it, she merely shrugs a shoulder and taps on the screen in front of her a few more times. "I had an early meeting with Tony about a few upgrades he wanted to make on my suit."

"Was Steve there?" he asks a little more harshly than he'd intended but it was too late to backtrack now so he went with it.

"Steve?" she blinks at him. "No, he was out running a few errands with Sam. Bucky, is everything alright? You don't seem like yourself," she asks as she leans forward to brush a few hairs from his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he grunts before composing himself and offering her a too-bright smile. "How about we go out to lunch at that little Italian place you like so much and then spend the afternoon getting lost in Target?"

"I wish I could, but I have a meeting with Tony in a few minutes. Maybe some other time?" she asks with an apologetic smile as she starts getting up to leave.

"Didn't you just have a meeting with Tony this morning?" Bucky asks as he rises with her.

"Yeah, but that was about suit upgrades, this is about a team-building event he wants to organize. I'll see you later, okay?" She turns and walks away from him without another word or even a kiss on the cheek. She always used to kiss him when she left. Was this the end of them? Sure Bucky had been a little busy with missions, bad guys never took a day off after all. But had he really pushed her into the arms of his best friend? These thoughts plague his mind as he turns and slowly wanders back into the compound.

The next few days are no better, in fact, they seem even worse. It's almost as if y/n and Steve are actively avoiding him, spending almost every moment together away from the compound and only returning long after everyone else has gone to sleep. He didn't think y/n was even sleeping in the same bed as him anymore.

It's on his way back from training the new recruits, walking past Steve's closed office door that he hears the words that make his heart drop to the floor and shatter into millions of tiny shards. "I think Bucky is onto us, Steve," y/n is saying, her voice quivering the way it does when she's on the verge of tears.

"What makes you say that?" Steve asks with a tinge of worry lacing his otherwise calm demeanor.

"Whenever we're in the same room together, he looks at me with these heartbroken puppy-eyes, he refuses to be near me, just this morning he called out 'Say hi to Steve' all sarcastic as I was leaving the kitchen. I don't know how much longer I can keep doing this, Steve. I hate lying to Bucky," she sobs.

Bucky hears Steve walking around his office, probably pulling y/n into his arms. "I know, sweetheart. But it's almost over. We just have to be patient for a few more hours, I promise," Steve soothes her as she continues to sniffle.

Bucky cannot stand there and listen to more of their conversation. He silently walks past the door and to his room. He had to get out of there.

He is in the middle of packing his duffle bag full of clothing when the door opens and y/n walks in. She stops short when she sees Bucky with his hands full of clothes. "Bucky? What are you doing?" she asks cautiously as she slowly edges closer to him, closing the door behind her.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm packing," he says harshly, completely ignoring how hurt she looks as he continues stuffing clothes into the black canvas.

"I can see that, but why? I don't know of any missions popping up," she says as she takes a seat on the bed.

"Because I can't be around you right now, y/n," he says without any emotion in his voice.

"Why?" she asks, tears starting to fill her eyes.

"Why?" Bucky gives a humorless laugh before continuing, "Because, I know, alright. I know about you and Steve, and I can't just stand back and watch you have an affair with my best friend!" he yells.

"Bucky... there's nothing going on between me and Steve. You're the only guy for me, I swear," she pleads with him while tears run down her face.

"If there's nothing going on between the two of you why have you both been avoiding me? Why haven't you so much as hugged me in almost a month? Why do I keep seeing the two of you all over the compound, looking all cozy and giggly? Why, y/n?" he asks, suddenly sounding tired and defeated. 

"Because we've been trying to plan a surprise party for you, dammit! And everyone knows what shit liars we both are, so it was just easier to avoid you than accidentally letting something slip! I never wanted to hide things from you! I never wanted to avoid you when all I wanted to do is curl up next to you and never let you go because I love you!" she yells, feeling frustrated and heartbroken that Bucky could ever even think that she would be unfaithful to him. "I love you," she whispers as she slumps in on herself, sobbing.

"You've been planning a surprise party for me?" Bucky asks, completely dazed as he slowly processes everything y/n had just told him. "Oh, doll..." he whispers as he drops the clothes in his hands onto the bed and slumps to his knees before her, wrapping his arms securely around her quivering frame. "I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry baby," he whispers in her ear repeatedly as he kisses every available inch of skin he can reach.

"I guess the cat's out of the bag now, huh?" y/n muses a long time later as she snuggles closer to Bucky's chest while his arms tighten around her.

"Just a little bit," he chuckles, "but I promise I'll still act surprised," he says before landing a kiss on the top of her head.

"I love you, Bucky Barnes," she says, stretching up gently kiss his mouth.

"I love you too, y/n y/l/n," he whispers against her lips before kissing her more firmly. The party could wait a little while longer, first, he had a lot of making up to do.


End file.
